Tuesdays on Mixcloud 5:00-6:30 pm eastern

Livestreams every Tuesday from 5 to 6:30pm on Mixcloud featuring DJ Kendo, plus 11 years of playlists and audio from the show "Jazz Greats" on WFCF St. Augustine!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Playlist for July 30th 2012 WFCF - New Jazz Monday

Fill in for Andy's New Jazz Monday show on WFCF 88.5 Saint Augustine. A few nice surprises like the Tom Harrell solo trumpet number and Kevin Mahogany's new disc. Below is the playlist. - DJ Kendo

Artist  -  Title  -  Album

Mössinger - "It's Time to Be a Greenhorn" - The NJ Session

Oscar Peñas - "Choro no. 1" - From Now On

ZBT - "Lazy Bird" - Out of This Town

Jeannie Gagnè - "Dance With Me" - Closer to Bliss

Tom Harrell - "Star Eyes" - Number Five

Light House Little Big Band - "Baroque Samba"

Bobby Broom - "Fambroscious" - Upper West Side Story

Susie Arioli - "Here's That Rainy Day" - All the Way

Ravi Coltrane - "Check Out Time" - Spirit Fiction

John Pizzarelli - "Rosalinda's Eyes" - Double Exposure

Mahogony & Stryker - "Just In Time" - Next Time You See Me

John Abercrombie Quartet - "Interplay" - Within a Song

Mahogany & Stryker - "Gigi's Steamin' Greens" - Next Time You See Me

Max Marshall - "Joyspring" - Instant Camaraderie

Carmen Intorré Jr. - "Cannonball" - For the Soul

Andrew Swift - "The Rio Dawn" - Swift Kick

Piero Odorici - "Willie's Groove" - Cedar Walton Presents

Sylvia Herold & the Rhythm Bugs - "The Spider and the Fly" - The Spider and the Fly

Ravi Coltrane - "Spring and Hudson" - Spirit Fiction

Bruce Barth - "Wise Charlie's Blues" - Three Things of Beauty

Friday, July 27, 2012

Go-To Album 4

Bill Evans/Shelly Manne - Empathy


I've already blogged at length about my own personal good times with this cd... (see here). The bottom line is it's real nice, no - it's awesome, to hear Bill Evans just having fun, playing well, and indeed enjoying the 'empathy' that he and drummer Shelly Manne share for this session. Manne is on top of his creative game, and Monty Budwig lends ample support and buoyancy.

My cd copy is paired with "A Simple Matter of Conviction" - Eddie Gomez's debut, also with Manne, and it has many wonderful moments; but it's 4 years later, and that hipty-hopty high energy (cocaine?) is starting to creep in to Evans' playing - something that would escalate for the rest of his career. I have the sessions separated in my pc jazz folder, and hit up "Empathy" way more.

As the author Peter Pettinger put it: "On Empathy...Evans was having a night out and enjoying the change. Shelly Manne, too, had a ball, interacting constantly and prompting Evans into more clipped exchanges than usual, while Monty Budwig lent clean, rich-toned support."  (from book "How My Heart Sings").
 
Jazz as it should be - fun! The opener "The Washington Twist" is worth the price of the whole album. Below is the exquisite take on "Danny Boy". - Dj Kendo 








Monday, July 9, 2012

Guilty Pleasure Album 1

Walter Murphy on the Private Stock label
I know, who in their right mind would buy an album with that cover. <raises hand sheepishly> I was thirteen or thereabouts. The album was already a cutout, not even touching the popularity of Walter Murphy's prior smash "A Fifth of Beethoven" - which, at the time, I hated. It must have been curiosity that prompted me to purchase it - or maybe it was the leisure suit.

First off, as if you didn't know - it's a disco album. Although there are moments that actually sound like the cover, ones that might even make you wince and feel awkwardly, it is overall a surprisingly good album peppered with truly inspired playing and fun ideas.

The worst song
"Could It Be the Music" (also the 2nd single) is loaded with extraordinarily hokey (and cliché) orchestrations that, if you are of the sort, will make you bust out into very bad, animated choreography with lots of 'jazz-hands'. The lyrics are some of the worst known to man ("I let the music take me, I feel it start to shake me, it's really got me out of control!") - bringing to mind Mary Tyler Moore dressed-up in giant wig as "Kinky Dee" singing "Get Dancing" (remember that?).

Still, the execution is spot on and it's completely white funkiness is sufficient enough that one walks away thinking "That was a joke, but I liked it!": that's the Murphy magic! After all, he's the music man behind "Family Guy"
. He's also an excellent keyboardist, his Dr. John-styled piano solo on this one makes hanging in there worth while.

Of more note are the Discofication of "Rhapsody in Blue", a tight and funky "It Ain't Necessarily So" and Richard Rodgers "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"; part of Murphy's "New York City Suite" - a very fine disco mood piece, often stark and surprising; with brilliant sax solos by George Young. 

The musicianship is top-notch - Tom Scott solos and is reunited with the LA Express on "It Ain't Necessarily So" (drummer John Guerin taking some mean trades as well). LA Express sans Scott also perform on the album's most smokin' track "Fish Legs"; where Murphy displays extremely tasteful Hammond B3 chops with adequate soul; Peter Maunu also letting loose. Great horn chart, but beware the disco-girls and their "doo-doot-doot-doo"s.

Other cats include Steve Kahn, Jon Faddis, Harvey Swartz, Bill Watrous and Lew Soloff - who is featured on the prettiest track "Sunflower" - a fairly smooth but irresistible downtempo latin number. Soloff's flugelhorn is recorded beautifully and makes the track. Finally there's "The Only Two People In the World" - which, as a pop song, is nearly perfect - sung convincingly by Lani Groves. I'm not sure how this one eluded the record company or radio stations for a single, but such is life
.

If you see it at a garage sale or thrift store, snap it up. It'll make you chuckle for sure, but you'll also probably really like it. - DJ Kendo


Monday, July 2, 2012

Playlist for 7-2-12 WFCF New Jazz Monday

Had fun fillin' in for Andy tonight on New Jazz Monday - even though the emergency weather system interupted me 3 times lol. Below is the playlist of the show!





 

Artist - Song Title (Album)

Eric Reed - Green Chimneys (The Baddest Monk)
Brian Bromberg - A Little New Old School (Compare to That)
ZBT - Stop and Go (Out of This Town)

Tony Monaco - Aglio e Olio (Celebration)
Bill Evans - I Fall In Love Too Easily (Moon Beams)
Tony Monaco - Acid Wash (Celebration)
Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest - I'm Beginning to See the Light (Live)
Mike Stern - Out of the Blue (All Over the Place)
Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story (Upper West Side Story)
Lynne Arialle - What Is This Thing Called Love (Solo)
Ray Parker - Zingaro (Swingin' Never Hurt Nobody)
Lighthouse Little Big Band - Whisper Not
Jamie Ousley - Steam (A Sea of Voices)
Brad Meldau Trio - Aquaman (Ode)
Joe Chambers - Moving Pictures Suite: Prelude (Moving Pictures Orchestra)
Amina Figarova - Sneaky Seagulls (Twelve)
Carmen Intorre Jr. - Black Market (For the Soul)
Sylvia Herold and the Rhythm Bugs - The Spider and the Fly (The Spider and the Fly)
Ahmad Jamal - Blue Moon (Blue Moon)



I'll be filling in for Chris on the "Classical Potpourri" show the next 3 Wednesdays: July 4th, 11th and 18th; 11:00am to 1:00pm. Tune in this Wednesday July 4th to celebrate America with 2 hours of music by American composers, including Antheil, Ives, Copland, Gottschalk, Grofe, Gershwin, Joplin and more! You can listen online via this link on Iheart Radio! Thanks for stopping by! - Dj Kendo


Monday, June 25, 2012

Playlist for 6-25-12 WFCF

So my first time on the air (as a dj) went pretty well! Nervous, but I got the job done - with a little Kenny style. Once I get to know the ropes more it should be more fun to listen to. Below is the music I programmed from 3pm - 5pm on WFCF St. Augustine 88Five.


  1. Jazz Samba Project - E Luxo So*
  2. Steve Kuhn -  Permanent Wave*
  3. Brian Bromberg - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?*
  4. Piero Odorici w/ Cedar Walton Trio - If I Should Love You*
  5. Hubert Laws - Black Eyed Peas and Rice
  6. Arturo Sandoval - Birk's Works*
  7. Freddie Hubbard - Fantasy in D
  8. Zach Bartholomew Trio - Lover's Lament
  9. Herb Silverstein & Friends - A French Wedding
  10. Art Farmer w/ Yusef Lateef - Flute Song
  11. Jill (Allen) Wofsey - I'm Flying
  12. Bill Evans - Gloria's Step**
  13. Pointer Sisters - Cloudburst
  14. Michael Petrovich - San Juan Nights
  15. Miles Davis - Floppy
  16. Don Durkee Trio - Another Groove
  17. Bill Evans Trio - Jade Visions**
  18. Cal Tjader - Afro Blue



* - selections from the new jazz bin at WFCF

** - featured album "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" recorded on this date 51 years ago (June 25th, 1961). The Bill Evans Trio played 5 one-hour sets that day, the last of a 2 week engagement equally billed with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. The recordings were culled from all the sets. Ten days later Scott LaFaro crashed into a tree heading upstate NY and died instantly. The 2 selections played today were his brilliant compositions.

My next time on the air will be a classical slot on July 4th from 11am to 1pm - I'll be celebrating this awesome holiday with music by American composers - like Gottschalk, Gershwin, Grofé, Copland, Antheil, Reich, Bernstein and more!

If you want to stay abreast of my doings, my twitter is @DJKendo1.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Upcoming Air-date 6/25/12 WFCF

Jumping right in to the wild world of live broadcasting on 88Five WFCF St. Augustine - the new home for my big mouth (and more importantly - good taste!) We are an Iheart radio station so you can stream if you're not within range - which is pretty decent - from Jacksonville Beach to the edge of Ormond Beach (Korona) and west to Palatka.

I'm taking a fill-in spot on Monday June 25th from 3-5pm. If all goes well you'll hear my voice by about 3:30ish? Depends on DMC the station manager - who will get things started. Anyway below are some of the selections I expect to spin, including a celebration of the shows at the Village Vanguard which spawned 2 amazing Bill Evans albums: Waltz for Debby; and the one I'll be dropping: Sunday at the Village Vanguard - recorded exactly 51 years ago on the air-date.


We'll be hearing delicious sounds from the following albums:

Art Farmer - Something You Got
Jill Allen (Wofsey)- I'm Flying
Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
ZBT - Out of This Town
Miles Davis - Miles and Horns
Herb Silverstein & Friends - Beach Walker
Freddie Hubbard - First Light
Don Durkee Trio

along with selections from the new jazz bin at the station, and whatever DMC plays or wants me to play. Tune in via this Iheart link* if you like :) - DJ Kendo

*there are apps for blackberry, iphone, android etc on the WFCF homepage.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Go-To Album 3


Art Farmer - Something You Got
CTI 7080

I scored go-to albums 1-3 all during 2002, all at the same store. This particular one I didn't warm up to right away; I misinterpreted the intentions of Art & producer Creed Taylor. Indeed, if you don't have your ears on, track 1 sounds hokey. But there's some fine things going down on that one and throughout. It features two out-of-sight compositions by arranger David Matthews, "Flute Song" and "Hombre del Sol"; a good-time cover of "Sandu", as well as the title track. The emotional highlight comes on the amazing ballad "Saudhade". Wonderful performances from Farmer, Yusef Lateef, Hiram Bullock, Harvie Swartz on bass, Sue Evans on percussion and Jim Madison on drums.

The album definitely captures a moment in time (1977), but it captures it at it's finest - I never get tired of the buoyant mood!